Hacks Kindle DX - Any way to disable screensaver?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Like I said, if you install the screensaver hack and delete the images, it still goes into sleep mode, but it displays a blank screen. So that's not what you're looking for.

What I would want would be to bypass the routine that displays the image. So the Kindle goes to sleep and then doesn't jump to the routine to display an image but goes on to do whatever else it does in sleep mode. Can this be done?

[dhjdhj]

I always love it when someone else knows better (sigh).

Two reasons for me:

1) If I have some source code, an API, or some math equations on it, I want it "open" for hours beside me so I can refer to it over and over again without having it "close" on me every 10 minutes. My text books don't "close" on me!!!

2) I've started using it for music practice and I can have the same page of music open for 2 hours (say) if we're rehearsing something difficult. Can't stop in the middle of the song to "open" the Kindle again.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

I really don't understand the type of meetings you go to. In the ones I'm at, if there is documentation you have to refer to individually, it's usually multiple pages, viewed every few minutes. Pretty rare we'd stare at the same page for 10 minutes, then be expected to refer to the same page again with no intervening pages 30 minutes later. Furthermore, the wake up takes all of 5 seconds every 10 minutes max, so I really don't understand why 30 seconds out of an hour meeting worst case would be a problem.

It sounds like you're just trying to justify a decision you've already made.

[Daithi]

Originally Posted by dhjdhj

I always love it when someone else knows better (sigh).

If you had bothered to read through the rest of the posts on this thread you would have found that sirbruce has been very helpful in trying to advocate a solution to this issue. There really was no need to degrade him. Especially for your first post on this board.

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I would want would be to bypass the routine that displays the image. So the Kindle goes to sleep and then doesn't jump to the routine to display an image but goes on to do whatever else it does in sleep mode. Can this be done?

I don't know. Theoretically, sure, but...

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by Daithi

If you had bothered to read through the rest of the posts on this thread you would have found that sirbruce has been very helpful in trying to advocate a solution to this issue. There really was no need to degrade him. Especially for your first post on this board.

If the original poster had said it was for music or something similar, I would have understood. I just didn't think the "meeting" explanation made sense to me. Anyway, no skin off my nose; like you say I'm just trying to help.

[dhjdhj]

My apologies if my comment seemed rude --- guess I'm a bit jaded but I always get a bit annoyed when someone asks how to do something and gets a "why would you want to do that" response because that response is often a disguise for "I know better than you"

I'm hoping that one of the people who has figured out how to hack the kindle firmware will figure out a way to disable the screen saver.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

If the original poster had said it was for music or something similar, I would have understood. I just didn't think the "meeting" explanation made sense to me. Anyway, no skin off my nose; like you say I'm just trying to help.

[Mac Jones]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I would want would be to bypass the routine that displays the image. So the Kindle goes to sleep and then doesn't jump to the routine to display an image but goes on to do whatever else it does in sleep mode. Can this be done?

This would be ideal.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by dhjdhj

My apologies if my comment seemed rude --- guess I'm a bit jaded but I always get a bit annoyed when someone asks how to do something and gets a "why would you want to do that" response because that response is often a disguise for "I know better than you"

I'm hoping that one of the people who has figured out how to hack the kindle firmware will figure out a way to disable the screen saver.

dhjdhj, I am not a musician but have you looked into the digital music reader? It may better suit your needs. There is also software available that designed for use on several computing devices.

[Jagasian]

We should all send feedback to Amazon's official email address for providing feedback: (kindle-feedback@amazon.com). Below is the email that I sent:

I recently received my very first Kindle, the DX model, which I intend to use mainly for reading technical literature, sheet music, and recipes. For these kinds of documents, I need a page to stay on the screen for an indefinite amount of time. However, the Kindle screensaver's image slide show prevents using the Kindle for such purposes because it redraws the entire screen with a new image. So the problem isn't the fact that sleep mode automatically kicks in within 10 minutes of idle time. Instead, the problem is the screensaver's slide show.

I'd like to request two user user settings that would allow for the usage pattern that I and many other customers need:

1. changing idle time before sleep mode activates

2. enabling/disabling the screensaver slide show

For example, the screensaver slide show could be disabled so that the current page can still be read when the Kindle goes to sleep after just 1 minute of idle time (to maximize battery life).

[Mac Jones]

Originally Posted by Jagasian

We should all send feedback to Amazon's official email address for providing feedback: (kindle-feedback@amazon.com). Below is the email that I sent:

They wiil get plenty of feedback once the University tests begins. But until then I don't think we can count on a response.

Best bet would be to offer a reward for the first person to supply a hack.

I'll will start with a pledge $20 US.

We can start with pledges. Once we have enough pledges we can set up a Paypal account for this. (not sure exactly how it's done)

[ebs]

I have a proof of concept hack for DX that disables switching to the Power booklet (this is the thing that displays screensaver images), i.e. Kindle goes to sleep as usual (disables accelerometer, keys) but keeps the last page displayed.

I'm currently thinking on how to visualy mark that Kindle is in sleep mode and also how to handle page orientation correctly (there is some glitches if Kindle is in landscape mode).

If somebody wants to test it - I can post a sample script (NOT firmware update at the moment) - you'll need to do some manual stuff from Linux shell over usb networking.

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by ebs

I'm currently thinking on how to visualy mark that Kindle is in sleep mode

An icon in the top menu bar would seem appropriate. I assume the wireless and battery icons won't update in this mode?

[Jagasian]

Originally Posted by ebs

I have a proof of concept hack for DX that disables switching to the Power booklet (this is the thing that displays screensaver images), i.e. Kindle goes to sleep as usual (disables accelerometer, keys) but keeps the last page displayed.

I'm currently thinking on how to visualy mark that Kindle is in sleep mode and also how to handle page orientation correctly (there is some glitches if Kindle is in landscape mode).

If somebody wants to test it - I can post a sample script (NOT firmware update at the moment) - you'll need to do some manual stuff from Linux shell over usb networking.

I'm interested. It would also be useful if pressing any button brought the Kindle out of sleep mode. Locking the keys would also be needed, because people will still want a sleep mode that can't be easily woken up.

[ebs]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

An icon in the top menu bar would seem appropriate. I assume the wireless and battery icons won't update in this mode?

Well, I tried that, unfortunatelly it doesn't work very well when you are in the PDF mode. I'll post this "icon" version shortly.

And yes, wireless and battery icons aren't updated.

[ebs]

Here is a very preliminary version of "screensaver last page" hack for Kindle DX. It replaces normal screensaver behaviour with last viewed page, in other words screen will not change when Kindle goes to screensaver mode.

Currently, I replace wireless and battery icons in the top right corner with a "stop" icon when screensaver is active. This isn't a final version as it looks pretty ugly in PDF mode - I'm working on it.

This is not a firmware update - you'll need to use usbnetwork to copy archive to Kindle and install it:

[root@kindle us]# pwd
/mnt/us
[root@kindle us]# mkdir screensaver-lp
[root@kindle us]# cd screensaver-lp/

Use scp to copy screensaver-lp.tar.gz to /mnt/us/screensaver-lp, then

[root@kindle screensaver-lp]# tar xzf screensaver-lp.tar.gz
[root@kindle screensaver-lp]# ls -al
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         4096 Jul  4 02:04 .
drwxr-xr-x    8 root     root         4096 Jul  4 02:03 ..
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         6447 Jun 28 01:39 bspatch
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root         9739 Jul  4  2009 framework-impl.jar.bdiff
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          890 Jul  4  2009 install.sh
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          683 Jul  4  2009 restore.sh
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        15726 Jul  4 02:03 screensaver-lp.tar.gz
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root         1539 Jul  4  2009 ss_lock.gif
[root@kindle screensaver-lp]# mntroot rw
system: I mntroot:def:Making root filesystem writeable
[root@kindle screensaver-lp]# ./install.sh

install: screensaver-lp v0.01, Sat Jul  4 02:06:12 UTC 2009
Done!

To remove, run restore.sh script

I strongly recommend you take some "anti-bricking" precautions, e.g. usbnetwork auto-start. This is potentially dangerous hack.

Update: v0.01 has been removed, use v0.03